What Cosmocat Games Inc. does

Cosmocat Games Inc. is an independent Canadian video game studio founded in 2014 by Adam "Snug" McLellan in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The studio develops and publishes retro-inspired action and roguelite video games across PC (Steam, Itch.io), consoles (Nintendo Switch), mobile (Google Play), and retro hardware (Game Boy Color), and additionally sells Unity development assets to other game developers. Since 2024, Dutch artist and developer Nathan van der Stoep (Studio VDS) has officially worked under the Cosmocat label, forming a two-person core team supplemented by contract musicians (Ogotu, JF Spray) and artists on a project basis.

The studio's product catalog spans seven released games — Astral Flux (action-platformer roguelite), Astral Flux: Origins (Game Boy Color prequel), TOXICANT (survival horror roguelike), Brainmelter Deluxe (reflex platformer with rotating levels), Super Rocket Ride (lander/platformer hybrid), Cosmic Ray (casual space exploration), and Operation Hardcore (2D side-scrolling shooter) — all built on the Unity engine in C# with a consistent retro-modern visual identity combining pixel art with dynamic lighting, particles, and post-processing. Several titles feature procedural level generation and roguelite/permadeath mechanics as core design pillars. The studio also distributes Instant Tropical Fish and The Ambient Music Pack on the Unity Asset Store, monetizing internal art and audio IP for other Unity developers.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time game license sales priced between $2.99 and $14.99 across Steam, Nintendo Switch eShop, Itch.io, and Google Play, supplemented by Unity Asset Store sales and a recurring patron tier on Itch.io that grants early access to assets. Go-to-market is product-led and community-driven: the studio relies on organic discovery through Steam/Nintendo storefronts, an active Discord server, the monthly "The Cosmocat Times" newsletter, and broad social media presence (Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn). The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional investment, venture capital, or parent entity.

Name

Cosmocat Games Inc.

Legal name

Cosmocat Games Inc.

Website

https://cosmocatgames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cosmocat Games Inc. is an independent Canadian game studio that develops and publishes retro-inspired action and roguelite video games across PC, consoles, mobile, and retro hardware, alongside Unity development assets for game developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indie Video Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios (MPAFAAAM)

Keywords

• Indie video games
• Retro action games
• Roguelike game development
• Unity game assets
• Procedural level generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dartmouth

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase model for indie games sold through Steam, Nintendo Switch eShop, and Itch.io. Games range from $2.99 to $14.99.
2. Game Sales - TOXICANT: Survival horror roguelike with randomized levels. Previously sold via Early Access, now full release at $9.99 on Steam.
3. Unity Asset Sales: Game development assets (Instant Tropical Fish, Ambient Music Pack) sold through Unity Asset Store. One-time purchase model.
4. Patron Support: Patrons receive early access to assets via Itch.io before Unity Asset Store release.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cosmocat Games develops and publishes retro-inspired action and roguelite video games for PC, consoles, mobile, and retro hardware. The studio also creates and sells Unity development assets (3D tropical fish character packs and ambient music) for game developers. Core offerings include action-platformers, survival horror roguelikes, reflex-based platformers, and 2D side-scrolling shooters featuring procedurally generated levels and atmospheric audio-visual design.

Product overview

Cosmocat Games Inc. is an independent Canadian game studio founded in 2014, offering a portfolio of retro-inspired action games and Unity development assets. The core product lineup includes seven distinct games: Astral Flux (action-platformer roguelite), Astral Flux: Origins (Game Boy Color prequel), TOXICANT (survival horror roguelike), Brainmelter Deluxe (reflex platformer with rotating mechanics), Super Rocket Ride (retro lander/platformer), Cosmic Ray (space exploration), and Operation Hardcore (2D side-scrolling shooter). These games are distributed through Steam, Nintendo Switch, Itch.io, and Google Play. Additionally, the studio offers two Unity Asset Store products—The Ambient Music Pack (audio) and Instant Tropical Fish (3D character assets)—serving other game developers. Since 2024, founders Adam McLellan and Nathan van der Stoep operate officially under the Cosmocat label and also provide external development services to other indie studios.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Astral Flux
• Astral Flux: Origins
• TOXICANT
• Brainmelter Deluxe
• Super Rocket Ride
• Cosmic Ray
• Operation Hardcore
• Instant Tropical Fish
• The Ambient Music Pack

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.5+ years in Early Access for TOXICANT before full release, demonstrating sustained community engagement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BAGEL+BALLOONminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Local Atlantic Canadian studio collaboration on DIGIDAMARA: a unique online interactive experience that debuted in spring 2022. One-time creative collaboration on an experimental project.
• Studio VDS (Nathan van der Stoep)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Dutch artist and game developer Nathan van der Stoep teamed up with Cosmocat in 2019. Collaboration resulted in Astral Flux (2022). Since 2024, the duo officially works under the Cosmocat label, combining skills to create challenging action-packed games with distinctive retro flair. Nathan provides pixel art for Astral Flux and Astral Flux: Origins.
• JP TiangcominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration on Instant Tropical Fish Unity asset. JP Tiangco provided art assets for the tropical fish collection sold on Unity Asset Store.
• Unruly GamesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Unruly Games on Super Rocket Ride. Unruly Games contributed to game development, with Felix Weber providing art and design. Cross between old school lander games and classic platformers of SNES era.
• Game Dev AtlanticminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpeaking engagement at Game Dev Atlantic 2020 conference. Presented 'Proc Talk: A History of Procedural Generation Cosmocat Games' to the Atlantic game development community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yacht Club Games: Small indie studio behind Shovel Knight, building pixel-art retro action-platformers with modern mechanics. Highly comparable in studio scale (small team), aesthetic (retro pixel art), and target player (hardcore indie enthusiasts).
• Mossmouth: Independent studio founded by Derek Yu, creator of Spelunky — the seminal roguelike platformer explicitly cited as a design inspiration for Cosmocat's procedural-generation work. Closest analogue in scope and philosophy.
• Brace Yourself Games: Small independent studio behind Crypt of the NecroDancer and Vectorman-inspired industrial action games. Comparable scope, indie-retro positioning, and procedural/roguelike mechanics heritage.
• Tribute Games: Small Montreal indie studio behind retro-inspired action games like TMNT: Shredder's Revenge and Flinthook. Highly comparable in studio size, retro-action positioning, and hard-core/2D-platformer specialization.
• Acid Nerve: Tiny independent studio behind Titan Souls and Death's Door — atmospheric action games with minimal hand-holding, challenging combat, and distinctive visual identity. Closely mirrors Cosmocat's 'trust-based design' philosophy.
• Mega Cat Studios: Small studio publishing games on legacy hardware including Game Boy Color — directly comparable to Cosmocat's Astral Flux: Origins cartridge strategy. Same retro-revival niche and physical-product economics.
• Extremely OK Games (Matt Thorson): Solo/duo indie developer of Celeste, a retro-style challenging platformer with modern touches. Directly comparable in studio size, design philosophy, and challenging-aesthetic positioning.

Others

• Devolver Digital: Major indie games publisher that catalogs and distributes many retro-aesthetic roguelike titles, and the type of counterparty Cosmocat could partner with for a wider release of Astral Flux or future titles. Indirect ecosystem comparable.
• tinyBuild Games: Indie-focused publisher and developer collaborating with many small retro-aesthetic studios (Hello Neighbor, Graveyard Keeper). Comparable as a publishing/distribution counterparty for a small bootstrapped studio seeking scale.

Broad incumbents

• Supergiant Games: Established indie studio behind Hades and Bastion — leading the modern roguelite action game category that Astral Flux competes in. Larger and more successful, but the closest incumbent reference point for Cosmocat's flagship genre.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cosmocatgames
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKIRnYdJGycAuMpN5qGTFuQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/cosmocatgames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cosmocatgames

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cosmocat Games Inc.